Making Up
by Aniroaldawen
Summary: After the infamous prank at the Willow, how did Remus forgive Sirius? Read to find out!


Making Up  
  
by Aniroaldawen  
  
After the infamous prank at the Willow, how did Remus forgive Sirius? Read on to find out! Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!  
  
A creak, a scuffle, a hiss—"Get in there!"—the slamming and locking of a door. Silence. Sirius Black stared apprehensively at the hunched back of Remus Lupin, curled up on the windowseat next to his bed in Gryffindor Tower fourth-year boys' dormitories. Several moments of silence passed. Sirius thought of trying the door and had laid his hand upon the knob, when Remus spoke, quietly, in a dangerously low voice.  
  
"Have you any idea what you did the other night? Have you any idea how the wolf went insane at the smell of Snape's blood? Have you any idea what I might've done to him? What I might then have done to myself?"  
  
Sirius flinched. This was why he had been avoiding his friend for days now, ever since a prank he pulled on Severus Snape went awry. You see, Remus Lupin was a werewolf. The only ones who knew were Remus' best friends, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black...and now, Severus Snape. Sirius, ever the prankster, thought it would be funny to tell Snape that he could press the knot on the Whomping Willow and find out where Remus dissappeared to every month. The only thing that saved Snape from a bite—or worse—from the werewolf Remus became each full moon was James' courage, for when he learned what Sirius had done, he went after Snape himself and pulled him back. When Remus woke up in the hospital wing, covered in bruises and injuries caused by the wolf's desperate charges at the door as it lusted after the human prey that was so very near, he'd been horrified to learn that Sirius was the one who did it. Since then, he had been icy cold to his best friend.  
  
"Remus..." Sirius stared at the floor, and spoke in a very small voice. "I..."  
  
"I could not live with myself if I had...killed...or passed on this horrible curse—"  
  
"It was Snivellus," muttered Sirius sullenly.  
  
"I wouldn't wish lycanthropy on my worst enemy!" snapped Remus. "I detest Snape, yes, but I don't hate him that much!" Sirius opened his mouth to interrupt. "No. Shut up. Listen to me. I trusted you..." Remus turned from the windowsill. The pain in those blue eyes made Sirius flinch. What have I done to him?  
  
"I trusted you, Sirius. I trusted you with my secret...with my life. You betrayed me. You betrayed the Marauders." Remus paused, looking away. "Just...just answer me...why?"  
  
Sirius was silent.  
  
"Well, if you're just going to bloody stand there like you've got Silencio cast on you, you might as well get out now." Remus turned away.  
  
"Remus...I...I didn't think-."  
  
"That's exactly your problem! You don't think before you act! I didn't want anyone to know about my lycanthropy, and now—now Snape knows! Do you really think he'll keep silent about this?"  
  
"Dumbledore made him-."  
  
"When has Snape ever not done something just because a teacher told him not to? He hates me, and he'll do anything he can to get me out of here!" Remus sighed shakily, eyes filling with sorrow. "If he tells...do you know what will happen?" he asked in a trembling voice. "No one will want me to stay at Hogwarts...the parents...they'll be afraid I'll bite the other students...I'll be shunned, outcast from society...I'll have no life, Sirius! Everything I've done at Hogwarts...all that I've gained...it'll be gone!"  
  
It was like a knife was twisting in his gut. Oh, Sirius couldn't stand this...the utter sorrow and pain in his friend's eyes...He couldn't stay here with this boy, this golden wolf whom he had so horribly and wrongly betrayed. Lupin was a kind, innocent soul. He did not wish to harm anyone, and what had Sirius done? Nearly forced his friend to bite or kill a human being! Sirius felt tears spring to his eyes, but he took a deep breath and forced the words out.  
  
"I'll just...I'll just go owl my mum then."  
  
"Owl your mum?"  
  
"Well...I'm not a Marauder any more...if you hate me. I might as well go home," said Sirius, the words choking in his throat. His hand rested on the doorknob.  
  
"You stop right there, Sirius Black." Compelled by the voice, Sirius turned. His friend stared at him through tear-filled eyes.  
  
"I'm angry at you, yes...dissapointed...wondering if I can ever trust you again. But do I hate you? No."  
  
"You should," said Sirius in a small voice.  
  
Remus sighed. "Look. What you did...that wasn't Padfoot...that wasn't Sirius. The Sirius I know is kind, impulsive, funny, a prankster, intelligent...and the best friend I ever had." He paused, struggling to master the whirlwind of emotion rising within him. "I can't hate you, Padfoot," Remus continued after a bit, in a trembling voice. "How could I hate someone who didn't run when they found out what I was...broke Wizarding law for me...someone who likes me for me and accepts me for what I am?"  
  
"But you can't be serious," Sirius replied in an equally broken voice.  
  
"No, you're Sirius," Lupin grinned. "But Sirius-ly..." Sirius gave him a look. "All right. Honestly...you, Sirius Black, are a good person...and one of my best mates in the world. I'm not giving you up that easily."  
  
Sirius was crying now, big fat tears from shining, relief-filled eyes, and Remus felt some of his own tears escape to leave shimmering silver trails down his cheek.  
  
"I don't deserve you," said Sirius heartily, shaking his head.  
  
Remus laughed. "Quit blubbering and get over here!"  
  
Sirius nearly tackled Remus in a hug, which was gratefully returned. As they stood there sniffling, two muffled "Aaawwwww!"s came from out the door.  
  
"You may as well come in," said Remus to the door, and in walked James and Peter as Sirius and Remus, wiping awkwardly at their tears, broke apart.  
  
"I told you all you needed to do was talk to him!" James told Sirius, thumping him on the back and scrubbing at his own face.  
  
"You crying, James? And you, Peter!" ribbed Sirius good-naturedly as he wiped his nose on his sleeve, beaming.  
  
"Well, it was very moving, what you said!" James defended himself, fishing out his handkerchief. Peter just sniffled and grinned.  
  
Sirius draped an arm around Remus's shoulders, and the grinning werewolf grabbed Sirius' sleeve and blew his nose loudly into it.  
  
"Eurgh! That's my school shirt!" Sirius yanked his arm away. "I was not aware that it states in the Marauders' Pact that one another's garmets may be used as snotrags!"  
  
The sound of teenage laughter filled the night air. Marauders, they were...together til the end. 


End file.
